Space tourism might be the dream of many people on the planet, but a journey to space is not is not as easy as simply buying some tickets at a travel search engine;it is only reserved for the privileged (有特权的) few that can afford the cost. One of the options that impressed me most is the one offered by a company called Space Adventures.

What they have in place is a space tourism program that slows you to travel with the Soyuz to the International Space Station(ISS). The trip starts a few months in advance with intensive training dealing mainly with gravity operations,fight control and survival activities.

When all training is over, your space trip begins. The trip can be planned exactly according to your needs,whether you’re going for scientific research,or simply for an adventure. I doubt whether you will find any other kind of trip that has such a thorough preparation period beforehand.

One of the great things to do,even if it makes your space trip a bit more expensive,is that you could go on a space walk during your trip. That would definitely be a good opportunity to dance outside with your loved one to a slow waltz…Sorry,I forget there's no sound in space!

Whatever option you choose,the only obstacle you might face is the cost. All the other requirements seem to be less than those for getting a visa to a foreign country. Generally your height should be between 160 and 185 cm,your weight between 50 and 95 kg and be in good health.

Finally, in answer to the question you've been wondering about. Granted,space tourism is expensive,but exactly how expensive would a normal scheduled flight to the ISS cost? Would you believe it costs between $30 and $ 40 million? A Russian language course is included!

1.Besides the body requirements, which of the following is most likely to stop someone from going into space?

A. Their knowledge B. The climate

C. The cost D. The visa

2.What does underlined expression “in advance”mean?

A. at least B. ahead of C. make sure D. in all

3.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Space tourism a dream-made reality?

B. Are you ready for space tourism?

C. How to participate in a space tourism program.

D. Why only a few privileged persons can afford space trips.

How do ants know when another ant is dead? Ed Wilson, now the most famous ant scholar in the world, wanted to know.

When Ed Wilson was a young assitant professor at Harvard in 1950s , he found that when ants die, they just lie there, sometimes upside down, feet in the air, while their sister ants- almost all ants in a colony are ladies—walk right by without a look. Unitl about two days later, the dead body starts to send out a chemical signal that changes the living ants’ behaviour greatly.

All of a sudden what was once a pile of gunk(黏糊糊的东西) on the floor becomes a “Problem to Be solved”. Once the signal is in the air, any ant that happens to pass by picks up the dead body and carries it through her colony to a refuse pile and puts it on a pile of also dead ants.

Ed, who would continue the study of ants by studying their ability to communicate with smell, decided to find out what things equal “I am dead.” to an ant. Finally, after much checking and mixing, Ed discovered that a kind of acid was all the ants have to think “DEAD!” One day he took a drop of the acid and put it on an ant that had the bad luck of walking by. Then the next ant that came near grabbed it, put it on its back and put it into the refuse pile though the ant was still alive.

Though it tried to clean itself over and over, the minute it returned to the colony, it was caught and carried back on the pile. At last, it took the ant about an hour or two to get clean enough to return to regular business.

1.The author says the question was no one on everybody’s lips because ____.

A. it is easy to answer B. it is a foolish and difficult question

C. it is less talked about D. only scientists ask such a question

2.The underlined word “a refuse pile” probably means the place where _____.

A. injured ants were treated B. other ants lived

C. food was stored D. dead ants were buried

3.What caught Ed Wilson’s attention when he was at Harvard in the 1950s?

A. An ant wasn’t carried away immediately when it died.

B. Ant died with feet in the air.

C. Sister ants didn’t look after each other at all.

D. Ant’s dead bodies didn’t catch others’ attention.

4.The ant with acid tries to clean itself over and over ____.

A. to avoid being killed by the acid

B. to avoid being treated as the dead ant

C. to find out more food than anyone else

D. to find out where it got the acid

5.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. Dead is what you smell, not what you see

B. It’s funny to carry a living ant.

C. The secret in an ant colony

D. Study ants’ ability to communicate

In some Western countries, many children do chores to get pocket money(零花钱). They usually start to do this when they are ten years old.

School students have to do homework and study for tests. They don’t have much free time on weekdays. They often do chores on weekends.

Young kids only do easy chores. So they don’t get much money. But that’s enough. Many of them only want to buy candy. And candy is cheap! They often help do the dishes, sweep the floor, or feed the pet cat or dog.

When they get older, they want to buy more and more things. They want things that are more expensive than candy. So they have to work harder! They often help their parents wash the family car, cut the grass, or cook meals.

Some jobs are a good way for kids to learn new things. For example, they can learn how to use a lawnmower(割草机) or how to cook. Of course, their parents help them at first.

1.How do many children get pocket money in some Western countries?

A. They study hard. B. They do chores.

C. They do part-time jobs. D. They ask their parents for it.

2.When do many children usually begin to do chores in some Western countries?

A. At the age of 10. B. At the age of 13.

C. At the age of 15. D. At the age of 17.

3.When do school students often do chores in some Western countries?

A. On the afternoon of Thursday. B. On the morning of the weekdays.

C. At night. D. On weekends.

4.Mary wants to get more pocket money to buy something expensive. She may ______.

A. do the dishes. B. feed the pet cat.

C. cook meals. D. sweep the floor.

5.The passage mainly tells us how children in some Western countries ______.

A. find jobs B. get pocket money

C. study at school D. do chores

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